Fifty years after his breakout first World Cup victory on the Canalone Miramonti slope, Swedish skiing legend Ingemar Stenmark made an emotional return to Madonna di Campiglio. The celebration came just 24 hours before the 71st edition of the prestigious 3Tre night race, scheduled for tonight, January 8, 2025, with runs at 17:45 and 20:45 (CET).

Tuesday evening's Champions' Dinner reunited Stenmark with his former rivals from Italy's celebrated Valanga Azzurra team. Earlier in the day, the iconic champions members attended a special screening of "La Valanga Azzurra" at Pala Campiglio, presented by director Giovanni Veronesi. The screening brought together skiing icons Gustav Thoeni, Piero Gros, and Paolo De Chiesa, who, alongside Stenmark, dominated the ski in the 1970s and early 1980s.

The evening held particular significance as it marked exactly 50 years since that historic December 17, 1974 race, when Stenmark claimed his first victory, with Italians Paolo De Chiesa and Fausto Radici completing the podium. "Being back in Madonna di Campiglio with my Italian friends brings back incredible memories of that first win and the following successes at 3Tre," Stenmark remarked after receiving a commemorative plaque from 3Tre Committee President Lorenzo Conci.

The evening also featured more Italian standout champions who shone on the Canalone Miramonti in more recent years, from Alberto Tomba and Ivano Edalini to Giorgio Rocca, the last winner in Madonna di Campiglio in 2005, and Manfred Moelgg. Adding to the evening's emotion, recently retired Olympic champion Giuliano Razzoli will serve as forerunner in tonight's race. Among the athletes who have graced the Canalone Miramonti were also French skiers Yves Dimier and Sebastien Amiez, who famously rivaled Tomba in the mid-1990s.

The event's appeal extended beyond the skiing world, drawing Olympic sailing champion Ruggero Tita (gold medalist at both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024), cycling legends Francesco Moser, Gilberto Simoni and Maurizio Fondriest, and popular Italian singer Nina Zilli.

Tonight's race promises to add another chapter to its history. As the slopes prepare for the evening's competition, the town square, Piazza Sissi, will come alive with music and entertainment between the two runs. A new generation of racers stands ready to don the Maglia Fulmine and add their names to the illustrious history of the Canalone Miramonti.